On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” chef Tristen Epps joins CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss winning season 22 of Top Chef, his plans to open a restaurant in Houston, and more.

The conversation begins with Epps sharing how, as the son of a career army soldier, he developed an interest in cooking while watching TV shows oversees. Eventually, he made his way to Houston, where he worked at Quattro (the Italian restaurant in the Four Seasons), The Pass & Provisions, and The Inn at Dos Brisas. After coming in second on reality TV competition show The Taste, he moved to New York, where he learned from his mentor, superstar chef Marcus Samuelsson.

Ultimately, he decided to apply for Top Chef after seeing that other chefs who utilized Afro-Caribbean flavors, including Houston’s own Dawn Burrell, could be taken seriously by the show’s judges. He earned victories in both Quickfire and Elimination Challenges, including the critical “Restaurant Wars” challenge. Sandler asks Epps at what point in the competition did he start to realize he could win.

“After the pizza challenge is when I was like, okay, I think I’m a good cook,” Epps says with a a laugh. “I stressed about making the right decisions, and they were paying off — even for things I didn’t want to cook. Maybe if I can cook things I actually want to cook, I can crush this.”

Listen to the full episode for an update on Buboy, the tasting menu concept Epps intends to open at some point next year.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Felice Sloan discuss the news of the week. Their topics include fhef Kate McLean’s departure from Tony’s; the upcoming closure of Bosscat Kitchen & Libations; and Chopnblok earning a place on the New York’ Times.

In the restaurants of the week segment, Sloan and Sandler begin with their assessment of Butter Funk Kitchen, a modern soul food restaurant in South Houston. They also visit Southern Jerks, a Carribean-inspired fried chicken restaurant that operates out of a gas station in the Champions area of north Houston.

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